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Fire Hero Families are presented with a flag, badge, and a rose.
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By Susan Proels National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
he 38th annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service will take place Sunday, October 6, the culmination of a weekend of activities that honor the sacrifice of the nation’s fallen firefighters. Members of the public are welcome to attend the service, which is held at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg. The weekend is organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), one of the many events the organization hosts for Fire Hero Families and the fire service. “Memorial Weekend brings our Fire Hero Families to Emmitsburg to honor the sacrifice of their loved one and for the fire service to pay its respect to our fallen firefighters and to comfort their families,” says Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “Thousands of people who come through Frederick County on this weekend will be greeted with open arms and we are grateful for the county’s kind welcome.” Founded by an Act of Congress in 1992, NFFF is charged with honoring the sacrifice of fallen firefighters and comforting their families while working with its fire service partners to improve the safety of all firefighters. “Year-round, NFFF is here in Emmitsburg working with the fire service to find ways to keep firefighters safe,” continued Siarnicki. “We owe it to our fallen firefighters to keep as many families as we can from having to make that somber walk to the Memorial.”
